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Pre-1600

* 455 – Emperor Petronius Maximus is stoned to death by an angry mob while fleeing
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
. * 1223 – Mongol invasion of the Cumans: Battle of the Kalka River:
Mongol The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member ...
armies of
Genghis Khan Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; ; xng, Temüjin, script=Latn; ., name=Temujin – August 25, 1227) was the founder and first Great Khan (Emperor) of the Mongol Empire, which became the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in history a ...
led by
Subutai Subutai (Classical Mongolian: ''Sübügätäi'' or ''Sübü'ätäi''; Modern Mongolian: Сүбээдэй, ''Sübeedei''. ; ; c. 1175–1248) was a Mongol general and the primary military strategist of Genghis Khan and Ögedei Khan. He directe ...
defeat
Kievan Rus' Kievan Rusʹ, also known as Kyivan Rusʹ ( orv, , Rusĭ, or , , ; Old Norse: ''Garðaríki''), was a state in Eastern and Northern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical Atlas o ...
and
Cumans The Cumans (or Kumans), also known as Polovtsians or Polovtsy (plural only, from the Russian exonym ), were a Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman–Kipchak confederation. After the Mongol invasion (1237), many so ...
. * 1293
Mongol invasion of Java The Yuan dynasty under Kublai Khan attempted in 1292 to invade Java, an island in modern Indonesia, with 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers. This was intended as a punitive expedition against Kertanegara of Singhasari, who had refused to pay tribute ...
was a
punitive expedition A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a political entity or any group of people outside the borders of the punishing state or union. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong beh ...
against King Kertanegara of
Singhasari Singhasari ( jv, ꦏꦫꦠꦺꦴꦤ꧀ꦱꦶꦔ꧀ꦲꦱꦫꦶ, translit=Karaton Singhasari or , id, Kerajaan Singasari) was a Javanese Hindu kingdom located in east Java between 1222 and 1292. The kingdom succeeded the Kingdom of Kediri as ...
, who had refused to pay tribute to the Yuan and maimed one of its ministers. However, it ended with failure for the
Mongols The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member ...
. Regarded as establish City of
Surabaya Surabaya ( jv, ꦱꦸꦫꦧꦪ or jv, ꦯꦹꦫꦨꦪ; ; ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of East Java and the second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern border of Java island, on the M ...
*
1578 __NOTOC__ Year 1578 ( MDLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 31 – Battle of Gembloux: Spanish forces under Don John o ...
– King Henry III lays the first stone of the
Pont Neuf The Pont Neuf (, "New Bridge") is the oldest standing bridge across the river Seine in Paris, France. It stands by the western (downstream) point of the Île de la Cité, the island in the middle of the river that was, between 250 and 225 BC ...
(''New Bridge''), the oldest bridge of
Paris, France Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
.


1601–1900

*
1610 Some have suggested that 1610 may mark the beginning of the Anthropocene, or the 'Age of Man', marking a fundamental change in the relationship between humans and the Earth system, but earlier starting dates (ca. 1000 C.E.) have received broa ...
– The pageant '' London's Love to Prince Henry'' on the
River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...
celebrates the creation of
Prince Henry Prince Henry (or Prince Harry) may refer to: People *Henry the Young King (1155–1183), son of Henry II of England, who was crowned king but predeceased his father *Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal (1394–1460) *Henry, Duke of Cornwall (Ja ...
as
Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rule ...
. * 1669 – Citing poor eyesight as a reason,
Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys (; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English diarist and naval administrator. He served as administrator of the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament and is most famous for the diary he kept for a decade. Pepys had no mariti ...
records the last event in his diary. *
1775 Events Summary The American Revolutionary War began this year, with the first military engagement being the April 19 Battles of Lexington and Concord on the day after Paul Revere's now-legendary ride. The Second Continental Congress t ...
American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...
: The
Mecklenburg Resolves The Mecklenburg Resolves, or Charlotte Town Resolves, were a list of statements adopted at Charlotte, in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina on May 31, 1775; drafted in the month following the fighting at Lexington and Concord. Similar lists of r ...
are adopted in the
Province of North Carolina Province of North Carolina was a province of Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712(p. 80) to 1776. It was one of the five Southern colonies and one of the thirteen American colonies. The monarch of Great Britain was repre ...
. *
1790 Events January–March * January 8 – United States President George Washington gives the first State of the Union address, in New York City. * January 11 – The 11 minor states of the Austrian Netherlands, which t ...
Manuel Quimper Manuel Quimper Benítez del Pino (c. 1757 – April 2, 1844) was a Spanish Peruvian explorer, cartographer, naval officer, and colonial official. He participated in charting the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Sandwich Islands in the late 18th ...
explores the
Strait of Juan de Fuca The Strait of Juan de Fuca (officially named Juan de Fuca Strait in Canada) is a body of water about long that is the Salish Sea's outlet to the Pacific Ocean. The international boundary between Canada and the United States runs down the centre ...
. * 1790 – The United States enacts its first copyright statute, the
Copyright Act of 1790 The Copyright Act of 1790 was the first federal copyright act to be instituted in the United States, though most of the states had passed various legislation securing copyrights in the years immediately following the Revolutionary War. The ...
. * 1795
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...
: The
Revolutionary Tribunal The Revolutionary Tribunal (french: Tribunal révolutionnaire; unofficially Popular Tribunal) was a court instituted by the National Convention during the French Revolution for the trial of political offenders. It eventually became one of the ...
is suppressed. *
1805 After thirteen years the First French Empire abolished the French Republican Calendar in favour of the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 11 – The Michigan Territory is created. * February 7 – King Anouvong become ...
– French and Spanish forces begin the
assault An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in cr ...
against British forces occupying Diamond Rock,
Martinique Martinique ( , ; gcf, label= Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in ...
. * 1813 – In Australia, William Lawson,
Gregory Blaxland Gregory Blaxland (17 June 1778 – 1 January 1853) was an English pioneer farmer and explorer in Australia, noted especially for initiating and co-leading the first successful crossing of the Blue Mountains by European settlers. Early life ...
and
William Wentworth William Charles Wentworth (August 179020 March 1872) was an Australian pastoralist, explorer, newspaper editor, lawyer, politician and author, who became one of the wealthiest and most powerful figures of early colonial New South Wales. Throug ...
reach Mount Blaxland, effectively marking the end of a route across the Blue Mountains. * 1859 – The clock tower at the
Houses of Parliament The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace lies on the north ban ...
, which houses
Big Ben Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England, and the name is frequently extended to refer also to the clock and the clock tower. The officia ...
, starts keeping time. *
1862 Events January–March * January 1 – The United Kingdom annexes Lagos Island, in modern-day Nigeria. * January 6 – French intervention in Mexico: French, Spanish and British forces arrive in Veracruz, Mexico. * January ...
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
: Peninsula Campaign: Confederate forces under Joseph E. Johnston and G.W. Smith
engage Engage or ''variation'', may refer to: * Engagement in preparation for marriage * Engagé, 18th-19th century engaged contract workers * Engage (organisation), a UK-based political organization * Engage (visual arts), the UK National Associatio ...
Union forces under George B. McClellan outside the Confederate capital of
Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...
. *
1864 Events January–March * January 13 – American songwriter Stephen Foster (" Oh! Susanna", "Old Folks at Home") dies aged 37 in New York City, leaving a scrap of paper reading "Dear friends and gentle hearts". His parlor song ...
– American Civil War: Overland Campaign:
Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses ...
: The
Army of Northern Virginia The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most oft ...
engages the
Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confede ...
. *
1879 Events January–March * January 1 – The Specie Resumption Act takes effect. The United States Note is valued the same as gold, for the first time since the American Civil War. * January 11 – The Anglo-Zulu War begins. * Janu ...
– Gilmore's Garden in New York City is renamed
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylv ...
by William Henry Vanderbilt and is opened to the public at 26th Street and
Madison Avenue Madison Avenue is a north-south avenue in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, United States, that carries northbound one-way traffic. It runs from Madison Square (at 23rd Street) to meet the southbound Harlem River Drive at 142nd Str ...
. * 1884 – The arrival at
Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to ...
of
Tāwhiao Tāwhiao (Tūkāroto Matutaera Pōtatau Te Wherowhero Tāwhiao; c. 1822 – 26 August 1894) was leader of the Waikato tribes, the second Māori King, and a religious figure. He was a member of the Ngati Mahuta (Hapū) of Waikato. Biography T ...
, King of Maoris, to claim the protection of
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...
. * 1889Johnstown Flood: Over 2,200 people die after a dam fails and sends a 60-foot (18-meter) wall of water over the town of
Johnstown, Pennsylvania Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,411 as of the 2020 census. Located east of Pittsburgh, Johnstown is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, whi ...
.


1901–present

*
1902 Events January * January 1 ** The Nurses Registration Act 1901 comes into effect in New Zealand, making it the first country in the world to require state registration of nurses. On January 10, Ellen Dougherty becomes the world' ...
Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the So ...
: The
Treaty of Vereeniging The Treaty of Vereeniging was a peace treaty, signed on 31 May 1902, that ended the Second Boer War between the South African Republic and the Orange Free State, on the one side, and the United Kingdom on the other. This settlement provided f ...
ends the war and ensures British control of South Africa. *
1909 Events January–February * January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes. * January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama. * Jan ...
– The National Negro Committee, forerunner to the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.& ...
(NAACP), convenes for the first time. *
1910 Events January * January 13 – The first public radio broadcast takes place; live performances of the operas '' Cavalleria rusticana'' and ''Pagliacci'' are sent out over the airwaves, from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York C ...
– The
South Africa Act The South Africa Act 1909 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which created the Union of South Africa from the British Cape Colony, Colony of Natal, Orange River Colony, and Transvaal Colony. The Act also made provisions for p ...
comes into force, establishing the
Union of South Africa The Union of South Africa ( nl, Unie van Zuid-Afrika; af, Unie van Suid-Afrika; ) was the historical predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the Cape, Natal, Tr ...
. *
1911 A notable ongoing event was the race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia. * ...
– The RMS ''Titanic'' is launched in
Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
,
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is #Descriptions, variously described as ...
. * 1911 – The
President of Mexico The president of Mexico ( es, link=no, Presidente de México), officially the president of the United Mexican States ( es, link=no, Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos), is the head of state and head of government of Mexico. Under the ...
Porfirio Díaz José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori ( or ; ; 15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915), known as Porfirio Díaz, was a Mexican general and politician who served seven terms as President of Mexico, a total of 31 years, from 28 November 1876 to 6 Decem ...
flees the country during the
Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...
. *
1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that had been stored and cooled. * J ...
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
: Battle of Jutland: The British
Grand Fleet The Grand Fleet was the main battlefleet of the Royal Navy during the First World War. It was established in August 1914 and disbanded in April 1919. Its main base was Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands. History Formed in August 1914 from the F ...
engages the
High Seas Fleet The High Seas Fleet (''Hochseeflotte'') was the battle fleet of the German Imperial Navy and saw action during the First World War. The formation was created in February 1907, when the Home Fleet (''Heimatflotte'') was renamed as the High Seas ...
in the largest naval battle of the war, which proves indecisive. * 1921 – The
Tulsa race massacre The Tulsa race massacre, also known as the Tulsa race riot or the Black Wall Street massacre, was a two-day-long massacre that took place between May 31 – June 1, 1921, when mobs of white residents, some of whom had been appointed as deput ...
kills at least 39, but other estimates of black fatalities vary from 55 to about 300. *1924 – Hope Development School fire kills 24 people, mostly disabled children. * 1935 – A 7.7
earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...
destroys
Quetta Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه‎) is the tenth List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in Geography of Pakistan, south-west of the country close to the ...
in modern-day
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
killing 40,000. *
1941 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar Eu ...
Anglo-Iraqi War The Anglo-Iraqi War was a British-led Allied military campaign during the Second World War against the Kingdom of Iraq under Rashid Gaylani, who had seized power in the 1941 Iraqi coup d'état, with assistance from Germany and Italy. The ca ...
: The United Kingdom completes the re-occupation of
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
and returns 'Abd al-Ilah to power as regent for
Faisal II Faisal II ( ar, الملك فيصل الثاني ''el-Melik Faysal es-Sânî'') (2 May 1935 – 14 July 1958) was the last King of Iraq. He reigned from 4 April 1939 until July 1958, when he was killed during the 14 July Revolution. This regici ...
. * 1942
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
:
Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...
midget submarine A midget submarine (also called a mini submarine) is any submarine under 150 tons, typically operated by a crew of one or two but sometimes up to six or nine, with little or no on-board living accommodation. They normally work with mother ships, ...
s begin a series of attacks on Sydney, Australia. * 1947
Ferenc Nagy Ferenc Nagy (; 8 October 1903 – 12 June 1979) was a Hungarian politician of the Smallholders Party who served as Prime Minister of Hungary from 1946 until his forced resignation in 1947. He was also a Speaker of the National Assembly of Hung ...
, the democratically elected
Prime Minister of Hungary The prime minister of Hungary ( hu, Magyarország miniszterelnöke) is the head of government of Hungary. The prime minister and the Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Parliament, to their political part ...
, resigns from office after blackmail from the
Hungarian Communist Party The Hungarian Communist Party ( hu, Magyar Kommunista Párt, abbr. MKP), known earlier as the Party of Communists in Hungary ( hu, Kommunisták Magyarországi Pártja, abbr. KMP), was a communist party in Hungary that existed during the interwar ...
accusing him of being part of a plot against the state. This grants the Communists effective control of the Hungarian government. * 1951 – The
Uniform Code of Military Justice The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. §§ 801–946 is the foundation of military law in the United States. It was established by the United States Congress in accordance with the authority given by the United States Constitution ...
takes effect as the legal system of the
United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
. *
1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...
– The
U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
expands on its ''Brown v. Board of Education'' decision by ordering district courts and
school districts A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public primary and secondary schools in various nations. North America United States In the U.S, most K–12 public schools function as units of local school districts, whic ...
to enforce educational desegregation "at all deliberate speed." *
1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 ...
– The
South African Constitution of 1961 The Constitution of 1961 (formally the Republic of South Africa Constitution Act, 1961) was the fundamental law of South Africa for two decades. Under the terms of the constitution South Africa left the Commonwealth and became a republic. Leg ...
becomes effective, thus creating the Republic of South Africa, which remains outside the
Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Co ...
until 1 June 1994, when South Africa is returned to Commonwealth membership. * 1961 – In
Moscow City Court The Moscow City Court (russian: Московский городской суд (Мосгорсуд), Moskovsky gorodskoy sud (Mosgorsud)) is the highest judicial body of the city of Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Моск ...
, the Rokotov–Faibishenko
show trial A show trial is a public trial in which the judicial authorities have already determined the guilt or innocence of the defendant. The actual trial has as its only goal the presentation of both the accusation and the verdict to the public so th ...
begins, despite the
Khrushchev Thaw The Khrushchev Thaw ( rus, хрущёвская о́ттепель, r=khrushchovskaya ottepel, p=xrʊˈɕːɵfskəjə ˈotʲ:ɪpʲɪlʲ or simply ''ottepel'')William Taubman, Khrushchev: The Man and His Era, London: Free Press, 2004 is the period ...
to reverse Stalinist elements in Soviet society. * 1962 – The
West Indies Federation The West Indies Federation, also known as the West Indies, the Federation of the West Indies or the West Indian Federation, was a short-lived political union that existed from 3 January 1958 to 31 May 1962. Various islands in the Caribbean that ...
dissolves. *
1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...
– The 7.9 Ancash earthquake shakes
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...
with a maximum
Mercalli intensity The Modified Mercalli intensity scale (MM, MMI, or MCS), developed from Giuseppe Mercalli's Mercalli intensity scale of 1902, is a seismic intensity scale used for measuring the intensity of shaking produced by an earthquake. It measures the eff ...
of VIII (''Severe'') and a
landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated grade (slope), slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of ...
buries the town of
Yungay, Peru Yungay is a town in the Ancash Region in north central Peru, South America. Location Yungay is located in the Callejón de Huaylas on Río Santa at an elevation of approximately 2,500 meters, 450 km north of Lima, the country's capital. Ea ...
. Between 66,794 and 70,000 were killed and 50,000 were injured. *
1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...
– In accordance with the
Uniform Monday Holiday Act The Uniform Monday Holiday Act () is an Act of Congress that moved permanently to a Monday three Federal holidays in the United States— Washington's Birthday (colloquially Presidents’ Day), Memorial Day, and Labor Day—and that made Columb ...
passed by the
U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...
in 1968, observation of
Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...
occurs on the last Monday in May for the first time, rather than on the traditional
Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...
of May 30. * 1973 – The
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
votes to cut off funding for the bombing of Khmer Rouge targets within
Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
, hastening the end of the
Cambodian Civil War The Cambodian Civil War ( km, សង្គ្រាមស៊ីវិលកម្ពុជា, Romanization of Khmer#UNGEGN, UNGEGN: ) was a civil war in Cambodia fought between the forces of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (known as the Khme ...
. * 1973 –
Indian Airlines Flight 440 Indian Airlines Flight 440 was a flight on 31 May 1973 that crashed while on approach to Palam Airport (now Indira Gandhi International Airport) killing 48 of the 65 passengers and crew on board. Accident Flight 440 was a scheduled domestic p ...
crashes near
Indira Gandhi International Airport Indira Gandhi International Airport is the primary international airport serving Delhi, the capital of India, and the National Capital Region (NCR). The airport, spread over an area of , is situated in Palam, Delhi, southwest of the New De ...
, killing 48. * 1977 – The
Trans-Alaska Pipeline System The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) is an oil transportation system spanning Alaska, including the trans-Alaska crude-oil pipeline, 11 pump stations, several hundred miles of feeder pipelines, and the Valdez Marine Terminal. TAPS is one o ...
is completed. * 1985United States–Canada tornado outbreak: Forty-one tornadoes hit
Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, New York, and
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, leaving 76 dead. *
1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...
Bicesse Accords The Bicesse Accords, also known as the Estoril Accords, laid out a transition to multi-party democracy in Angola under the supervision of the United Nations' UNAVEM II mission. President José Eduardo dos Santos of the MPLA and Jonas Savimbi of U ...
in
Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...
lay out a transition to multi-party
democracy Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (" direct democracy"), or to choose gov ...
under the supervision of the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
'
UNAVEM II The United Nations Angola Verification Mission II (UNAVEM II), established May 1991 and lasting until February 1995, was the second United Nations peacekeeping mission, of a total of four, deployed to Angola during the course of the Angolan Civ ...
peacekeeping mission. * 2003
Air France Air France (; formally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. It is a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global air ...
retires its fleet of
Concorde The Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde () is a retired Franco-British supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Studies started in 1954, and France an ...
aircraft. * 2005 – '' Vanity Fair'' reveals that
Mark Felt William Mark Felt Sr. (August 17, 1913 – December 18, 2008) was an American law enforcement officer who worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 1942 to 1973 and was known for his role in the Watergate scandal. Felt wa ...
was " Deep Throat". * 2008
Usain Bolt Usain St. Leo Bolt, , (; born 21 August 1986) is a retired Jamaican sprinter, widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time. He is the world record holder in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4 × 100 metres relay. An eight- ...
breaks the world record in the 100m sprint, with a wind-legal (+1.7 m/s) 9.72 seconds *
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
– Israeli Shayetet 13 commandos boarded the
Gaza Freedom Flotilla The Gaza Freedom Flotilla, organized by the Free Gaza Movement and the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (İHH), was carrying humanitarian aid and construction materials, with the intention of breaking ...
while still in international waters trying to break the ongoing blockade of the
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...
; nine Turkish citizens on the flotilla were killed in the ensuing violent affray. *
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
– The
asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere. ...
1998 QE2 and its
moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
make their closest approach to Earth for the next two centuries. * 2013 – A record breaking 2.6 mile wide tornado strikes near
El Reno, Oklahoma El Reno is a city in and county seat of Canadian County, Oklahoma, Canadian County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city population was 16,989, marking a change of 1.55% from 16,729, recorded in the ...
, United States, causing eight fatalities (including three storm chasers) and over 150 injuries. * 2016Syrian civil war: The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launch the
Manbij offensive {{Infobox military conflict , conflict= Manbij offensive (2016) , width = 400px , partof= the Rojava–Islamist conflict and the American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War , image=Manbijof.png , image_size=350px , caption= Map showing SD ...
, in order to capture the city of
Manbij Manbij ( ar, مَنْبِج, Manbiǧ, ku, مەنبج, Minbic, tr, Münbiç, Menbic, or Menbiç) is a city in the northeast of Aleppo Governorate in northern Syria, 30 kilometers (19 mi) west of the Euphrates. In the 2004 census by the Cent ...
from the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
(ISIL). * 2017 – A car bomb explodes in a crowded intersection in
Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
near the German embassy during rush hour, killing over 90 and injuring 463. * 2019A shooting occurs inside a municipal building at
Virginia Beach Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...
,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, leaving 13 people dead, including the shooter, and four others injured.


Births


Pre-1600

* 1443 (or 1441) –
Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby Lady Margaret Beaufort (usually pronounced: or ; 31 May 1441/43 – 29 June 1509) was a major figure in the Wars of the Roses of the late fifteenth century, and mother of King Henry VII of England, the first Tudor monarch. A descendant of ...
(d. 1509) *
1462 Year 1462 ( MCDLXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * March 27 – Ivan III of Russia becomes the ruler of Russia, following the death ...
Philipp II, Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg Philipp II of Hanau-Lichtenberg (born 31 May 1462 in Hanau; died: 22 August 1504 in Babenhausen) ruled the County of Hanau-Lichtenberg from 1480 until his death. Early life Philipp II was born on 31 May 1462 between 21:00 and 22:00, as the seco ...
(d. 1504) * 1469
Manuel I of Portugal Manuel I (; 31 May 146913 December 1521), known as the Fortunate ( pt, O Venturoso), was King of Portugal from 1495 to 1521. A member of the House of Aviz, Manuel was Duke of Beja and Viseu prior to succeeding his cousin, John II of Portugal, a ...
(d. 1521) * 1535
Alessandro Allori Alessandro di Cristofano di Lorenzo del Bronzino Allori (Florence, 31 May 153522 September 1607) was an Italian painter of the late Mannerist Florentine school. Biography In 1540, after the death of his father, Allori was brought up and train ...
, Italian painter (d. 1607) * 1556
Jerzy Radziwiłł Jerzy Radziwiłł ( lt, Jurgis Radvila; 1480 – April 1541), nicknamed "Herkules", was a Szlachta, Polish–Lithuanian nobleman. He was Podczaszy, Deputy Cup-Bearer of Lithuania from 1510, voivode of Kiev Voivodeship from 1510, Field Hetma ...
, Catholic cardinal (d. 1600) * 1577
Nur Jahan Nur Jahan, born Mehr-un-Nissa P ersian: نورجهان (; – 18 December 1645) was the wife and chief consort of the Mughal emperor Jahangir from 1620 until his death in 1627. Nur Jahan was born Mehr-un-Nissa, as the daughter of a Mirza Gh ...
, Empress consort of the Mughal Empire (d. 1645)


1601–1900

* 1613
John George II, Elector of Saxony Johann George II (31 May 1613 – 22 August 1680) was the Elector of Saxony from 1656 to 1680. He belonged to the Albertine line of the House of Wettin. Biography He was the third (fourth in order of birth) but eldest surviving son of the Elector ...
(d. 1680) * 1640
Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki Michael I ( pl, Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki, lt, Mykolas I Kaributas Višnioveckis; 31 May 1640 – 10 November 1673) was the ruler of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 29 September 1669 un ...
, King of Poland (d. 1673) * 1641
Patriarch Dositheos II of Jerusalem Dositheus II Notaras of Jerusalem ( el, Δοσίθεος Β΄ Ἱεροσολύμων; Arachova 31 May 1641 – Constantinople 8 February 1707) was the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem between 1669 and 1707 and a theologian of the Eastern Ort ...
(d. 1707) * 1725
Ahilyabai Holkar Ahilya Bai Holkar (31 May 1725 – 13 August 1795) was the hereditary noble queen of the Maratha Empire, in early-modern India. She established Maheshwar (in Madhya Pradesh) as the seat of Holkar Dynasty. After the demise of her husband Kha ...
, Queen of the Malwa Kingdom under the
Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Shi ...
(d. 1795) * 1732
Count Hieronymus von Colloredo Hieronymus Joseph Franz de Paula Graf Colloredo von Wallsee und Melz (Jérôme Joseph Franz de Paula, Count of Colloredo-Wallsee and Mels; ) was Prince-Bishop of Gurk from 1761 to 1772 and Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg from 1772 until 1803, whe ...
, Austrian archbishop (d. 1812) * 1753
Pierre Victurnien Vergniaud Pierre Victurnien Vergniaud (; 31 May 1753 – 31 October 1793) was a French lawyer and statesman, a figure of the French Revolution. A deputy to the Assembly from Bordeaux, Vergniaud was an eloquent orator. He was a supporter of Jacques Pie ...
, French lawyer and politician (d. 1793) * 1754
Andrea Appiani Andrea Appiani (31 May 17548 November 1817) was an Italian neoclassical painter. Life Born in Milan, it had been intended that he follow his father's career in medicine but instead entered the private academy of the painter Carlo Maria Giud ...
, Italian painter and educator (d. 1817) * 1773
Ludwig Tieck Johann Ludwig Tieck (; ; 31 May 177328 April 1853) was a German poet, fiction writer, translator, and critic. He was one of the founding fathers of the Romantic movement in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Early life Tieck was born in B ...
, German poet, author, and critic (d. 1853) * 1801Johann Georg Baiter, Swiss philologist and scholar (d. 1887) *
1812 Events January–March * January 1 – The ''Allgemeines bürgerliches Gesetzbuch'' (the Austrian civil code) enters into force in the Austrian Empire. * January 19 – Peninsular War: The French-held fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo Siege of ...
Robert Torrens, Irish-Australian politician, 3rd
Premier of South Australia The premier of South Australia is the head of government in the state of South Australia, Australia. The Government of South Australia follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of South Australia acting as the legislature. The premier is ...
(d. 1884)Croucher, Rosalind F. (2008)
'Delenda Est Carthago!' Sir Robert Richard Torrens and his attack on the evils of conveyancing and dependent land titles: a reflection on the sesquicentenary of the introduction of his great law reforming initiative
' Alex Castles Memorial Legal History Lecture for Flinders University Law School, Adelaide, 26 August 2008. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
*
1815 Events January * January 2 – Lord Byron marries Anna Isabella Milbanke in Seaham, county of Durham, England. * January 3 – Austria, Britain, and Bourbon-restored France form a secret defensive alliance treaty against Prussi ...
Adye Douglas Sir Adye Douglas (31 May 1815 – 10 April 1906) was an Australian lawyer and politician, and first class cricket player, who played one match for Tasmania. He was Premier of Tasmania from 15 August 1884 to 8 March 1886. Early life The so ...
, English-Australian cricketer and politician, 15th
Premier of Tasmania The premier of Tasmania is the head of the executive government in the Australian state of Tasmania. By convention, the leader of the party or political grouping which has majority support in the House of Assembly is invited by the governor of ...
(d. 1906) * 1818
John Albion Andrew John Albion Andrew (May 31, 1818 – October 30, 1867) was an American lawyer and politician from Massachusetts. He was elected in 1860 as the 25th Governor of Massachusetts, serving between 1861 and 1866, and led the state's contributions to ...
, American lawyer and politician, 25th
Governor of Massachusetts The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the chief executive officer of the government of Massachusetts. The governor is the head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonwealth's military forces. Massachuset ...
(d. 1867) * 1819
Walt Whitman Walter Whitman (; May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among ...
, American poet, essayist, and journalist (d. 1892) *
1827 Events January–March * January 5 – The first regatta in Australia is held, taking place on Tasmania (called at the time ''Van Diemen's Land''), on the River Derwent at Hobart. * January 15 – Furman University, founded in 1826, b ...
Kusumoto Ine Kusumoto Ine (, 31 May 182727 August 1903; born Shiimoto Ine ) was a Japanese physician. She was the daughter of Kusumoto Taki, who was a courtesan from Nagasaki; and the German physician Philipp Franz von Siebold, who worked on Dejima, an is ...
, first Japanese female doctor of Western medicine (d. 1903) * 1835Hijikata Toshizō, Japanese commander (d. 1869) * 1838
Henry Sidgwick Henry Sidgwick (; 31 May 1838 – 28 August 1900) was an English utilitarian philosopher and economist. He was the Knightbridge Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Cambridge from 1883 until his death, and is best known in philos ...
, English economist and philosopher (d. 1900) * 1842
John Cox Bray Sir John Cox Bray (31 May 1842 – 13 June 1894) was a prominent South Australian politician and the first native-born Premier of South Australia (1881–1884). Early life and education John Cox Bray was born in East Adelaide, a son of Tom C ...
, Australian politician, 15th
Premier of South Australia The premier of South Australia is the head of government in the state of South Australia, Australia. The Government of South Australia follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of South Australia acting as the legislature. The premier is ...
(d. 1894) * 1847
William Pirrie, 1st Viscount Pirrie William James Pirrie, 1st Viscount Pirrie, KP, PC, PC (Ire) (31 May 1847 – 7 June 1924) was a leading British shipbuilder and businessman. He was chairman of Harland and Wolff, shipbuilders, between 1895 and 1924, and also served as Lor ...
, Canadian-Irish businessman and politician,
Lord Mayor of Belfast The Lord Mayor of Belfast is the leader and chairperson of Belfast City Council, elected annually from and by the City's 60 Councillors#UnitedKingdom, councillors. The Lord Mayor also serves as the representative of the city of Belfast, welcomin ...
(d. 1924) * 1852
Francisco Moreno Francisco Pascasio Moreno (May 31, 1852 – November 22, 1919) was a prominent explorer and academic in Argentina, where he is usually referred to as ''Perito'' Moreno (''perito'' means "specialist, expert"). Perito Moreno has been credited as on ...
, Argentinian explorer and academic (d. 1919) * 1852 –
Julius Richard Petri Julius Richard Petri (31 May 185220 December 1921) was a German microbiologist who is generally credited with inventing the device known as the Petri dish, which is named after him, while working as assistant to bacteriologist Robert Koch. Li ...
, German microbiologist, invented the
Petri dish A Petri dish (alternatively known as a Petri plate or cell-culture dish) is a shallow transparent lidded dish that biologists use to hold growth medium in which cells can be cultured,R. C. Dubey (2014): ''A Textbook Of Biotechnology For Class- ...
(d. 1921) * 1857
Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...
(d. 1939) * 1858
Graham Wallas Graham Wallas (31 May 1858 – 9 August 1932) was an English socialist, social psychologist, educationalist, a leader of the Fabian Society and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Biography Born in Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, Wall ...
, English socialist, social psychologist, and educationalist (d. 1932) * 1860
Walter Sickert Walter Richard Sickert (31 May 1860 – 22 January 1942) was a German-born British painter and printmaker who was a member of the Camden Town Group of Post-Impressionist artists in early 20th-century London. He was an important influence on d ...
, English painter (d. 1942) * 1863
Francis Younghusband Lieutenant Colonel Sir Francis Edward Younghusband, (31 May 1863 – 31 July 1942) was a British Army officer, explorer, and spiritual writer. He is remembered for his travels in the Far East and Central Asia; especially the 1904 British ...
, Indian-English captain and explorer (d. 1942) * 1866
John Ringling John Nicholas Ringling (May 31, 1866 – December 2, 1936) was an American entrepreneur who is the best known of the seven Ringling brothers, five of whom merged the Barnum & Bailey Circus with their own Ringling Bros World's Greatest Sho ...
, American entrepreneur; one of the founders of the
Ringling Brothers Circus Ringling Bros. World's Greatest Shows is a circus founded in Baraboo, Wisconsin, United States in 1884 by five of the seven Ringling brothers: Albert, August, Otto, Alfred T., Charles, John, and Henry. The Ringling brothers were sons of a Ge ...
(d. 1936) * 1875Rosa May Billinghurst, British suffragette and women's rights activist (d.1953) *
1879 Events January–March * January 1 – The Specie Resumption Act takes effect. The United States Note is valued the same as gold, for the first time since the American Civil War. * January 11 – The Anglo-Zulu War begins. * Janu ...
Frances Alda Frances Davis Alda (31 May 1879 – 18 September 1952) was a New Zealand-born, Australian-raised operatic lyric soprano. She achieved fame during the first three decades of the 20th century due to her outstanding singing voice, fine technique ...
, New Zealand-Australian soprano (d. 1952) * 1882Sándor Festetics, Hungarian politician, Hungarian Minister of War (d. 1956) *
1883 Events January–March * January 4 – ''Life'' magazine is founded in Los Angeles, California, United States. * January 10 – A fire at the Newhall Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, kills 73 people. * Ja ...
Lauri Kristian Relander Lauri Kristian Relander (, ; 31 May 1883 – 9 February 1942) was the second president of Finland (1925–1931). A prominent member of the Agrarian League, he served as a member of Parliament, and as Speaker, before his election as President. ...
, Finnish politician, 2nd
President of Finland The president of the Republic of Finland ( fi, Suomen tasavallan presidentti; sv, Republiken Finlands president) is the head of state of Finland. Under the Constitution of Finland, executive power is vested in the Finnish Government and the p ...
(d. 1942) * 1885Robert Richards, Australian politician, 32nd
Premier of South Australia The premier of South Australia is the head of government in the state of South Australia, Australia. The Government of South Australia follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of South Australia acting as the legislature. The premier is ...
(d. 1967) * 1887
Saint-John Perse Alexis Leger (; 31 May 1887 – 20 September 1975), better known by his pseudonym Saint-John Perse (; also Saint-Leger Leger), was a French poet-diplomat, awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1960 "for the soaring flight and evocative ...
, French poet and diplomat,
Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
laureate (d. 1975) *
1892 Events January–March * January 1 – Ellis Island begins accommodating immigrants to the United States. * February 1 - The historic Enterprise Bar and Grill was established in Rico, Colorado. * February 27 – Rudolf Diesel applies for ...
Michel Kikoine Michel Kikoïne ( be, Міхаіл Кікоін; russian: Михаил Кико́ин, ''Michail Kikóin''; 31 May 1892 – 4 November 1968) was a Lithuanian Jewish-French painter. Life Kikoine was born in Rechytsa, present-day Belarus. The ...
, Belarusian-French painter (d. 1968) * 1892 – Erich Neumann, German lieutenant and politician (d. 1951) * 1892 –
Konstantin Paustovsky Konstantin Georgiyevich Paustovsky ( rus, Константи́н Гео́ргиевич Паусто́вский, p=pəʊˈstofskʲɪj; – 14 July 1968) was a Soviet writer nominated for the Nobel Prize for literature in 1965. Early life ...
, Russian poet and author (d. 1968) * 1892 –
Gregor Strasser Gregor Strasser (also german: Straßer, see ß; 31 May 1892 – 30 June 1934) was an early prominent German Nazi official and politician who was murdered during the Night of the Long Knives in 1934. Born in 1892 in Bavaria, Strasser served i ...
, German lieutenant and politician (d. 1934) * 1894
Fred Allen John Florence Sullivan (May 31, 1894 – March 17, 1956), known professionally as Fred Allen, was an American comedian. His absurdist, topically pointed radio program ''The Fred Allen Show'' (1932–1949) made him one of the most popular and for ...
, American comedian, radio host, game show panelist, and author (d. 1956) * 1898
Norman Vincent Peale Norman Vincent Peale (May 31, 1898 – December 24, 1993) was an American Protestant clergyman, and an author best known for popularizing the concept of positive thinking, especially through his best-selling book '' The Power of Positive ...
, American minister and author (d. 1993) * 1900
Lucile Godbold Lucile Ellerbe Godbold (May 31, 1900 – April 5, 1981) was an American track and field athlete. She competed in the long jump and several running and throwing events at the 1922 Women's World Games, also known as the First International Games ...
, American athlete (d. 1981)


1901–present

* 1901
Alfredo Antonini Alfredo Antonini (May 31, 1901 – November 3, 1983) was a leading Italian-American symphony conductor and composer who was active on the international concert stage as well as on the CBS radio and television networks from the 1930s through the e ...
, Italian-American conductor and composer (d. 1983) * 1908
Don Ameche Don Ameche (; born Dominic Felix Amici; May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993) was an American actor, comedian and vaudevillian. After playing in college shows, stock, and vaudeville, he became a major radio star in the early 1930s, which ...
, American actor (d. 1993) *
1909 Events January–February * January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes. * January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama. * Jan ...
Art Coulter Arthur Edmund Coulter (May 31, 1909 – October 14, 2000) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the New York Rangers and Chicago Black Hawks in the National Hockey League. Coulter, a two time Stanley Cup Champion, help ...
, Canadian-American ice hockey player (d. 2000) *
1911 A notable ongoing event was the race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia. * ...
Maurice Allais Maurice Félix Charles Allais (31 May 19119 October 2010) was a French physicist and economist, the 1988 winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences "for his pioneering contributions to the theory of markets and efficient utilization o ...
, French economist and physicist,
Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
laureate (d. 2010) * 1912
Chien-Shiung Wu ) , spouse = , residence = , nationality = ChineseAmerican , field = Physics , work_institutions = Institute of Physics, Academia SinicaUniversity of California at BerkeleySmith CollegePrinceton UniversityColumbia UniversityZhejiang Unive ...
, Chinese-American experimental physicist (d. 1997) * 1914
Akira Ifukube was a Japanese classical and film music composer, best known for his works on the ''Godzilla'' franchise. Biography Early years in Hokkaido Akira Ifukube was born on 31 May 1914 in Kushiro, Japan as the third son of a police officer Toshimi ...
, Japanese composer and educator (d. 2006) *
1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that had been stored and cooled. * J ...
Bert Haanstra, Dutch director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1997) * 1918
Robert Osterloh Robert Osterloh (May 31, 1918 – April 16, 2001) was an American actor. His career spanned 20 years, appearing in films such as ''The Dark Past'' (1948), ''The Wild One'' (1953), '' I Bury the Living'' (1958) and ''Young Dillinger'' (1965). Bio ...
, American actor (d. 2001) * 1918 –
Lloyd Quarterman Lloyd Albert Quarterman (May 31, 1918 – July 1982) was an American chemist working mainly with fluorine. During the Second World War he was one of the first African American scientists and technicians on the Manhattan Project. Life and caree ...
, African American chemist (d. 1982) * 1919
Robie Macauley Robie Mayhew Macauley (May 31, 1919 – November 20, 1995) was an American editor, novelist and critic whose literary career spanned more than 50 years. Biography Early life Robie Macauley was born on May 31, 1919, in Grand Rapids, Michigan ...
, American editor, novelist and critic (d. 1995) * 1921
Edna Doré Edna Lillian Doré (née Gorring; 31 May 1921 – 11 April 2014) was a British actress. She was known for her bit-part roles in sitcoms and for playing the character of Mo Butcher in '' EastEnders'' from 1988 to 1990. Career Doré began her c ...
, English actress (d. 2014) * 1921 – Andrew Grima, Anglo-Italian jewellery designer (d. 2007) * 1921 –
Howard Reig Howard Reig (May 31, 1921 – November 10, 2008)Alida Valli Alida Maria Laura, '' Freiin'' Altenburger von Marckenstein-Frauenberg (31 May 1921 – 22 April 2006), better known by her stage name Alida Valli (or simply Valli), was an Italian actress who appeared in more than 100 films in a 70-year career, ...
, Austrian-Italian actress and singer (d. 2006) *
1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...
Denholm Elliott Denholm Mitchell Elliott, (31 May 1922 – 6 October 1992) was an English actor, with more than 125 film and television credits. His well-known roles include the abortionist in '' Alfie'' (1966), Marcus Brody in ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' (19 ...
, English-Spanish actor (d. 1992) * 1923
Ellsworth Kelly Ellsworth Kelly (May 31, 1923 – December 27, 2015) was an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker associated with hard-edge painting, Color Field painting and minimalism. His works demonstrate unassuming techniques emphasizing line, c ...
, American painter and sculptor (d. 2015) * 1923 –
Rainier III, Prince of Monaco Rainier III (Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi; 31 May 1923 – 6 April 2005) was Prince of Monaco from 1949 to his death in 2005. Rainier ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost 56 years, making him one of the longest-ruling m ...
(d. 2005) * 1923 – Claudio Matteini, Italian football player (d. 2003) *
1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...
Julian Beck Julian Beck (May 31, 1925 – September 14, 1985) was an American actor, stage director, poet, and painter. He is best known for co-founding and directing The Living Theatre, as well as his role as Reverend Henry Kane, the malevolent preacher ...
, American actor and director (d. 1986) * 1927
James Eberle Admiral Sir James Henry Fuller Eberle, (31 May 1927 – 17 May 2018) was a senior officer in the Royal Navy who served as Commander-in-Chief Fleet from 1979 until 1981. Naval career Educated at Clifton College and the Royal Naval College, Dartm ...
, English admiral (d. 2018) * 1927 – Michael Sandberg, Baron Sandberg, English lieutenant and banker (d. 2017) * 1928
Pankaj Roy Pankaj Roy (; 31 May 1928 – 4 February 2001) was an Indian cricketer and former national cricket team captain. He was right-handed opening batsman, he is best known for establishing the world record opening partnership of 413 runs, together ...
, Indian cricketer (d. 2001) * 1929Menahem Golan, Israeli director and producer (d. 2014) * 1930
Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...
, American actor, director, musician, and producer *
1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...
– John Robert Schrieffer, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2019) * 1931 – Shirley Verrett, American soprano and actress (d. 2010) *1932 – Ed Lincoln, Brazilian pianist, bassist, and composer (d. 2012) * 1932 – Jay Miner, American computer scientist and engineer (d. 1994) *1933 – Henry B. Eyring, American religious leader, educator, and author *1934 – Jim Hutton, American actor (d. 1979) * 1935 – Jim Bolger, New Zealand businessman and politician, 35th Prime Minister of New Zealand *1938 – Johnny Paycheck, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2003) * 1938 – John Prescott, British sailor and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom * 1938 – Peter Yarrow, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer *1939 – Terry Waite, English humanitarian and author *1940 – Anatoliy Bondarchuk, Ukrainian hammer thrower and coach * 1940 – Augie Meyers, American musician and singer-songwriter * 1940 – Gilbert Shelton, American illustrator *
1941 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar Eu ...
– June Clark (nurse), June Clark, Welsh nurse and educator * 1941 – Louis Ignarro, American pharmacologist and academic, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Nobel Prize laureate * 1941 – William Nordhaus, American economist and academic,
Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
laureate *1943 – Sharon Gless, American actress * 1943 – Joe Namath, American football player, sportscaster, and actor *1945 – Rainer Werner Fassbinder, German actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1982) * 1945 – Laurent Gbagbo, Ivorian academic and politician, 4th List of heads of state of Ivory Coast, President of Côte d'Ivoire * 1945 – Bernard Goldberg, American journalist and author *1946 – Ted Baehr, American publisher and critic * 1946 – Steve Bucknor, Jamaican cricketer and umpire * 1946 – Jimmy Cliff, Jamaican singer and musician * 1946 – Krista Kilvet, Estonian journalist, politician, and diplomat (d. 2009) * 1946 – Debbie Moore, English model and businesswoman * 1947 – Junior Campbell, Scottish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer * 1947 – Gabriele Hinzmann, German discus thrower *1948 – Svetlana Alexievich, Belarusian journalist and author,
Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
laureate * 1948 – John Bonham, English musician, songwriter and drummer (d. 1980) * 1948 – Martin Hannett, English bass player, guitarist, and record producer (d. 1991) * 1948 – Duncan L. Hunter, Duncan Hunter, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician *1949 – Tom Berenger, American actor, film producer and television writer *1950 – Jean Chalopin, French director, producer, and screenwriter, founded DIC Entertainment * 1950 – Gregory Harrison, American actor * 1950 – Edgar Savisaar, Estonian politician, Minister of the Interior (Estonia), Estonian Minister of the Interior * 1951 – Karl-Hans Riehm, German hammer thrower *1952 – Karl Bartos, German singer-songwriter and keyboard player *1953 – Pirkka-Pekka Petelius, Finnish actor and screenwriter *1954 – Thomas Mavros, Greek footballer * 1954 – Vicki Sue Robinson, American actress and singer (d. 2000) *
1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...
– Tommy Emmanuel, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist * 1955 – Susie Essman, American actress, comedian, and screenwriter *1956 – Fritz Hilpert, German drummer and composer * 1956 – John Young (British musician), John Young, English singer-songwriter and keyboard player *1957 – Jim Craig (ice hockey), Jim Craig, American ice hockey player *1959 – Andrea de Cesaris, Italian racing driver (d. 2014) * 1959 – Phil Wilson (British politician), Phil Wilson, English politician *1960 – Greg Adams (ice hockey, born 1960), Greg Adams, Canadian ice hockey player and businessman * 1960 – Chris Elliott, American actor, comedian, and screenwriter * 1960 – Peter Winterbottom, English rugby player *
1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 ...
– Ray Cote, Canadian ice hockey player * 1961 – Justin Madden, Australian footballer and politician * 1961 – Lea Thompson, American actress, director, and producer * 1962 – Corey Hart (singer), Corey Hart, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer *1963 – David Leigh (scientist), David Leigh, holder of the Sir Samuel Hall Chair of Chemistry at the University of Manchester * 1963 – Viktor Orbán, Hungarian politician, 38th
Prime Minister of Hungary The prime minister of Hungary ( hu, Magyarország miniszterelnöke) is the head of government of Hungary. The prime minister and the Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Parliament, to their political part ...
* 1963 – Wesley Willis, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player (d. 2003) *1964 – Leonard Asper, Canadian lawyer and businessman * 1964 – Stéphane Caristan, French hurdler and coach * 1964 – Yukio Edano, Japanese politician, Minister for Foreign Affairs (Japan), Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs * 1964 – Darryl McDaniels, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, American rapper and producer *1965 – Brooke Shields, American model, actress, and producer *1966 – Diesel (musician), Diesel, American-Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist * 1966 – Roshan Mahanama, Sri Lankan cricketer and referee *1967 – Phil Keoghan, New Zealand television host and producer * 1967 – Kenny Lofton, American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster *
1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...
– Arun Luthra, Indo-Anglo-American saxophonist, konnakol artist, composer, and arranger *1972 – Christian McBride, American bassist and record producer * 1972 – Archie Panjabi, British actress * 1972 – Frode Estil, Norwegian skier * 1972 – Antti Niemi (footballer), Antti Niemi, Finnish international footballer and coach * 1972 – Dave Roberts (outfielder), Dave Roberts, American baseball player and coach *1974 – Hiroiki Ariyoshi, Japanese comedian and singer *1975 – Mac Suzuki, Japanese baseball player *1976 – Colin Farrell, Irish actor * 1976 – Matt Harpring, American basketball player and sportscaster * 1977 – Domenico Fioravanti, Italian swimmer * 1977 – Moses Sichone, Zambian footballer *1979 – Jean-François Gillet, Belgian footballer *1981 – Mikael Antonsson, Swedish footballer * 1981 – Daniele Bonera, Italian footballer * 1981 – Jake Peavy, American baseball player * 1981 – Marlies Schild, Austrian skier *1982 – Brett Firman, Australian rugby league player *1984 – Andrew Bailey (baseball), Andrew Bailey, American baseball player * 1984 – Milorad Čavić, Serbian swimmer * 1984 – Nate Robinson, American basketball player * 1985 – Jordy Nelson, American football player *1986 – Robert Gesink, Dutch cyclist *1989 – Marco Reus, German footballer *1990 – Erik Karlsson, Swedish ice hockey player *1992 – Michaël Bournival, Canadian ice hockey player * 1992 – Laura Ikauniece, Latvian heptathlete *1995 – Matthew Lodge, Australian rugby league player *1996 – Normani, Normani Kordei Hamilton, American singer * 1996 – Brandon Smith (rugby league), Brandon Smith, New Zealand rugby league player * 1997 – Woo Jin-young, South Korean singer and rapper *1998 – Santino Ferrucci, American race car driver *2001 – Iga Świątek, Polish tennis player


Deaths


Pre-1600

* 455Petronius Maximus, Roman emperor (b. 396) * 930 – Liu Hua (Wang Yanjun's wife), Liu Hua, princess of Southern Han (b. 896) * 960 – Fujiwara no Morosuke, Japanese statesman (b. 909) *1076 – Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria, English politician (b. 1050) *1089 – Sigwin von Are, archbishop of Cologne *1162 – Géza II of Hungary, Géza II, king of Hungary (b. 1130) *1321 – Birger, King of Sweden, Birger, king of Sweden (b. 1280) *1326 – Maurice de Berkeley, 2nd Baron Berkeley (b. 1271) *1329 – Albertino Mussato, Italian statesman and writer (b. 1261) *1349 – Thomas Wake, 2nd Baron Wake of Liddell, Thomas Wake, English politician (b. 1297) *1370 – Vitalis of Assisi, Italian hermit and monk (b. 1295) *1408 – Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Japanese shōgun (b. 1358) *1410 – Martin of Aragon, Spanish king (b. 1356) *1504 – Engelbert II of Nassau (b. 1451) *1558 – Philip Hoby, English general and diplomat (b. 1505) *1567 – Guido de Bres, Belgian pastor and theologian (b. 1522) *1594 – Tintoretto, Italian painter and educator (b. 1518)


1601–1900

*1601 – Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg, Archbishop-Elector of Cologne (b. 1547) * 1640 – Zeynab Begum, Safavid princess (date of birth unknown) *1665 – Pieter Jansz. Saenredam, Dutch painter (b. 1597) *1680 – Joachim Neander, German theologian and educator (b. 1650) *1740 – Frederick William I of Prussia (b. 1688) *1747 – Andrey Osterman, German-Russian politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs (Russia), Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1686) *1809 – Joseph Haydn, Austrian pianist and composer (b. 1732) * 1809 – Jean Lannes, French general (b. 1769) *1831 – Samuel Bentham, English architect and engineer (b. 1757) *1832 – Évariste Galois, French mathematician and theorist (b. 1811) *1837 – Joseph Grimaldi, English actor, comedian and dancer, (b. 1779) *1846 – Philip Marheineke, German pastor and philosopher (b. 1780) * 1847 – Thomas Chalmers, Scottish minister and economist (b. 1780) *1848 – Eugénie de Guérin, French author (b. 1805) *1899 – Stefanos Koumanoudis, Greek archaeologist, teacher and writer (b. 1818)


1901–present

* 1908 – Louis-Honoré Fréchette, Canadian author, poet, and politician (b. 1839) *
1909 Events January–February * January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes. * January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama. * Jan ...
– Thomas Price (South Australian politician), Thomas Price, Welsh-Australian politician, 24th
Premier of South Australia The premier of South Australia is the head of government in the state of South Australia, Australia. The Government of South Australia follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of South Australia acting as the legislature. The premier is ...
(b. 1852) *
1910 Events January * January 13 – The first public radio broadcast takes place; live performances of the operas '' Cavalleria rusticana'' and ''Pagliacci'' are sent out over the airwaves, from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York C ...
– Elizabeth Blackwell, English-American physician and educator (b. 1821) *
1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...
– Felix-Raymond-Marie Rouleau, Canadian cardinal (b. 1866) * 1931 – Willy Stöwer, German author and illustrator (b. 1864) *1945 – Odilo Globocnik, Italian-Austrian SS officer (b. 1904) *1954 – Antonis Benakis, Greek art collector and philanthropist, founded the Benaki Museum (b. 1873) *1957 – Stefanos Sarafis, Greek general and politician (b. 1890) * 1957 – Leopold Staff, Polish poet and academic (b. 1878) *1960 – Willem Elsschot, Flemish author and poet (b. 1882) * 1960 – Walther Funk, German economist, journalist, and politician, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (Germany), German Minister of Economics (b. 1890) * 1962 – Henry F. Ashurst, American lawyer and politician (b. 1874) *1967 – Billy Strayhorn, American pianist and composer (b. 1915) *
1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...
– Terry Sawchuk, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1929) *1976 – Jacques Monod, French biologist and geneticist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1910) * 1977 – William Castle, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1914) *1978 – József Bozsik, Hungarian footballer and manager (b. 1925) *1981 – Barbara Ward, Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth, English economist and journalist (b. 1914) *1982 – Carlo Mauri, Italian mountaineer and explorer (b. 1930) *1983 – Jack Dempsey, American boxer and lieutenant (b. 1895) * 1985 – Gaston Rébuffat, French mountaineer and author (b. 1921) *1986 – Jane Frank, American painter and sculptor (b. 1918) * 1986 – James Rainwater, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1917) *1987 – John Abraham (director), John Abraham, Indian director and screenwriter (b. 1937) *1989 – Owen Lattimore, American author and academic (b. 1900) * 1989 – C. L. R. James, Trinidadian journalist and historian (b. 1901) *1993 – Honey Tree Evil Eye, or, Spuds MacKenzie, Bud Light Bull Terrier mascot (b. 1983) *1994 – Uzay Heparı, Turkish actor, producer, and composer (b. 1969) * 1994 – Herva Nelli, Italian-American soprano (b. 1909) *1995 – Stanley Elkin, American novelist, short story writer, and essayist (b. 1930) *1996 – Timothy Leary, American psychologist and author (b. 1920) *1998 – Charles Van Acker, Belgian-American race car driver (b. 1912) *2000 – Petar Mladenov, Bulgarian diplomat, 1st President of Bulgaria (b. 1936) * 2000 – A. Jeyaratnam Wilson, Sri Lankan historian, author, and academic (b. 1928) *2001 – Arlene Francis, American actress, talk show host, game show panelist, and television personality (b. 1907) *2002 – Subhash Gupte, Indian cricketer (b. 1929) *2004 – Aiyathurai Nadesan, Sri Lankan journalist (b. 1954) * 2004 – Robert Quine, American guitarist (b. 1941) * 2004 – Étienne Roda-Gil, French screenwriter and composer (b. 1941) *2006 – Miguel Ortiz Berrocal, Spanish sculptor (b. 1933) * 2006 – Raymond Davis, Jr., American physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1914) *2009 – Danny La Rue, Irish-British drag queen performer and singer (b. 1927) * 2009 – George Tiller, American physician (b. 1941) *
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
– Louise Bourgeois, French-American sculptor and painter (b. 1911) * 2010 – Brian Duffy (photographer), Brian Duffy, English photographer and producer (b. 1933) * 2010 – William A. Fraker, American director, producer, and cinematographer (b. 1923) * 2010 – Rubén Juárez, Argentinian singer-songwriter and bandoneón player (b. 1947) * 2010 – Merata Mita, New Zealand director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1942) *2011 – Pauline Betz, American tennis player (b. 1919) * 2011 – Jonas Bevacqua, American fashion designer, co-founded the Lifted Research Group (b. 1977) * 2011 – Derek Hodge, Virgin Islander lawyer and politician, Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands (b. 1941) * 2011 – Hans Keilson, German-Dutch psychoanalyst and author (b. 1909) * 2011 – John Martin (Royal Navy officer), John Martin, English admiral and politician, Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey (b. 1918) * 2011 – Andy Robustelli, American football player and manager (b. 1925) *2012 – Christopher Challis, English cinematographer (b. 1919) * 2012 – Randall B. Kester, American lawyer and judge (b. 1916) * 2012 – Paul Pietsch, German racing driver and publisher (b. 1911) * 2012 – Orlando Woolridge, American basketball player and coach (b. 1959) *
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
– Gerald E. Brown, American physicist and academic (b. 1926) * 2013 – Frederic Lindsay, Scottish author and educator (b. 1933) * 2013 – Miguel Méndez, American author and poet (b. 1930) * 2013 – Tim Samaras, American engineer and storm chaser (b. 1957) * 2013 – Jairo Mora Sandoval, Costa Rican environmentalist (b. 1987) * 2013 – Jean Stapleton, American actress (b. 1923) *2014 – Marilyn Beck, American journalist (b. 1928) * 2014 – Marinho Chagas, Brazilian footballer and coach (b. 1952) * 2014 – Hoss Ellington, American race car driver (b. 1935) * 2014 – Martha Hyer, American actress (b. 1924) * 2014 – Lewis Katz, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1942) * 2014 – Mary Soames, Baroness Soames, English author (b. 1922) *2015 – Gladys Taylor (publisher), Gladys Taylor, Canadian author and publisher (b. 1917) * 2016 – Mohamed Abdelaziz (Sahrawi politician), Mohamed Abdelaziz, President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (1976–2016) (b. 1947) * 2016 – Jan Crouch, American televangelist, co-founder of the Trinity Broadcasting Network (b. 1938) * 2016 – Carla Lane, English television writer (b. 1928) * 2016 – Rupert Neudeck, German journalist and humanitarian (b. 1939) *2022 – Krishnakumar Kunnath, Indian singer (b. 1968) * 2022 – Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela, Colombian drug lord (b.1939) * 2022 – Colin Cantwell, American concept artist and director (b.1932) * 2022 – Jim Parks (cricketer, born 1931), Jim Parks, English cricketer (b. 1931)


Holidays and observances

*Royal Brunei Land Forces, Anniversary of Royal Brunei Malay Regiment (Brunei) *Christian Calendar of saints, feast day: **Camilla Battista da Varano **Saint Hermias, Hermias **Saint Petronilla, Petronella **Visitation of Mary (Western Christianity) **May 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) *The beginning of Gawai Dayak (Dayak people, Dayaks in Sarawak, Malaysia and West Kalimantan, Indonesia) *World No Tobacco Day (International observance, International)


References


Sources

*


External links


BBC: On This Day
*
Historical Events on May 31
{{months Days of the year May Discordian holidays